Proverbs

Proverbs 23:29–35

²⁹Who has woe? Who has sorrow?

Who has contentions? Who has complaints?

Who has needless wounds? Who has bloodshot eyes?

³⁰Those who linger over wine,

who go to taste mixed drinks.

³¹Do not gaze at wine while it is red,

when it sparkles in the cup

and goes down smoothly.

³²In the end it bites like a snake

and stings like a viper.

³³Your eyes will see strange things,

and your mind will utter perversities.

³⁴You will be like one sleeping on the high seas

or lying on the top of a mast:

³⁵“They struck me, but I feel no pain!

They beat me, but I did not know it!

When can I wake up

to search for another drink?”

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Who	לְמִ֨י	lə·mî	Preposition-l; Interrogative	H4310 who?
has woe	א֥וֹי	’ō·w	Interjection	H188 woe!
Who	לְמִ֪י	lə·mî	Preposition-l; Interrogative	H4310 who?
has sorrow	אֲב֡וֹי	’ă·ḇō·w	Interjection	H17 Oh!
Who	לְמִ֤י	lə·mî	Preposition-l; Interrogative	H4310 who?
has contentions	מְדוֹנִים	mə·ḏō·nīm	Noun - masculine plural	H4066 strife, contention
Who	לְמִ֥י	lə·mî	Preposition-l; Interrogative	H4310 who?
has complaints	שִׂ֗יחַ	śî·aḥ	Noun - masculine singular	H7879 complaint, musing
Who	לְ֭מִי	lə·mî	Preposition-l; Interrogative	H4310 who?
needless	חִנָּ֑ם	ḥin·nām	Adverb	H2600 out of favour
wounds	פְּצָעִ֣ים	pə·ṣā·‘îm	Noun - masculine plural	H6482 bruise, wound
Who	לְ֝מִ֗י	lə·mî	Preposition-l; Interrogative	H4310 who?
has bloodshot	חַכְלִל֥וּת	ḥaḵ·li·lūṯ	Noun - feminine singular construct	H2448 dulness
eyes	עֵינָֽיִם׃	‘ê·nā·yim	Noun - cd	H5869 eye

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Those who linger	לַֽמְאַחֲרִ֥ים	lam·’a·ḥă·rîm	Preposition-l, Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine plural	H309 to remain behind, delay, tarry
over	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
wine	הַיָּ֑יִן	hay·yā·yin	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3196 wine
who go	לַ֝בָּאִ֗ים	lab·bā·’îm	Preposition-l, Article; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H935 come in, come, go in, go
to taste	לַחְקֹ֥ר	laḥ·qōr	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H2713 search
mixed drinks	מִמְסָֽךְ׃	mim·sāḵ	Noun - masculine singular	H4469 mixed drink

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Do not	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
gaze at	תֵּ֥רֶא	tê·re	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular	H7200 see
wine	יַיִן֮	ya·yin	Noun - masculine singular	H3196 wine
while	כִּ֪י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
it is red	יִתְאַ֫דָּ֥ם	yiṯ·’ad·dām	Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H119 be red
when	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
it sparkles	יִתֵּ֣ן	yit·tên	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5414 give, put, set
in the cup	בַּכִּיס	bak·kīs	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H3599 bag, purse
and goes down smoothly	יִ֝תְהַלֵּ֗ךְ	yiṯ·hal·lêḵ	Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1980 go, come, walk

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
In the end	אַ֭חֲרִיתוֹ	’a·ḥă·rî·ṯōw	Noun - feminine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H319 after-part, end
it bites	יִשָּׁ֑ךְ	yiš·šāḵ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5391 bite
like a snake	כְּנָחָ֣שׁ	kə·nā·ḥāš	Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H5175 serpent
and stings	יַפְרִֽשׁ׃	yap̄·riš	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6567 make distinct, declare
like a viper	וּֽכְצִפְעֹנִ֥י	ū·ḵə·ṣip̄·‘ō·nî	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k; Noun - masculine singular	H6848 viper, thrusting, hissing

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Your eyes	עֵ֭ינֶיךָ	‘ê·ne·ḵā	Noun - cdc; second person masculine singular	H5869 eye
will see	יִרְא֣וּ	yir·’ū	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural	H7200 see
strange things	זָר֑וֹת	zā·rō·wṯ	Adjective - feminine plural	H2114 be a stranger
and your mind	וְ֝לִבְּךָ֗	wə·lib·bə·ḵā	Conjunctive waw; Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H3820 inner man, mind, will, heart
will utter	יְדַבֵּ֥ר	yə·ḏab·bêr	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1696 speak
perversities	תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃	tah·pu·ḵō·wṯ	Noun - feminine plural	H8419 perversity, fraud

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You will be	וְ֭הָיִיתָ	wə·hā·yî·ṯā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
like one sleeping	כְּשֹׁכֵ֣ב	kə·šō·ḵêḇ	Preposition-k; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H7901 lie down
on the high seas	יָ֑ם	yām	Noun - masculine singular	H3220 sea
or lying	וּ֝כְשֹׁכֵ֗ב	ū·ḵə·šō·ḵêḇ	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-k; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H7901 lie down
on the top	בְּרֹ֣אשׁ	bə·rōš	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct	H7218 head
of a mast	חִבֵּֽל׃	ḥib·bêl	Noun - masculine singular	H2260 mast

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
They struck me	הִכּ֥וּנִי	hik·kū·nî	Verb - Hifil - Perfect - third person common plural; first person common singular	H5221 smite
but I feel no	בַל־	ḇal-	Adverb	H1077 not
pain	חָלִיתִי֮	ḥā·lî·ṯî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H2470 be weak, sick
They beat me	הֲלָמ֗וּנִי	hă·lā·mū·nî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural; first person common singular	H1986 smite, hammer, strike down
but I did not	בַּל־	bal-	Adverb	H1077 not
know it	יָ֫דָ֥עְתִּי	yā·ḏā·‘ə·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H3045 know
When	מָתַ֥י	mā·ṯay	Interrogative	H4970 when?
can I wake up	אָקִ֑יץ	’ā·qîṣ	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular	H6974 awake
to search for	אֲבַקְשֶׁ֥נּוּ	’ă·ḇaq·šen·nū	Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular; third person masculine singular	H1245 seek
another	א֝וֹסִ֗יף	’ō·w·sîp̄	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular	H3254 add
drink	עֽוֹד׃	‘ō·wḏ	Adverb	H5750 a going round, continuance